Abstract: System and method for implementing cloud mitigation and operations controllers are described. One embodiment is a system for controlling operation of a cloud computing environment, wherein the system comprises a repository for storing data regarding characteristics of the cloud computing environment, wherein the stored data includes policy notations designating compliance or noncompliance of the data with policy; an analyst module for analyzing the stored data in combination with external report information regarding the cloud computing environment and for providing results of the analysis; and a controller for evaluating the analysis results and issuing instructions for controlling operation of the cloud computing environment based on the evaluating.

Abstract: System and method for implementing a workflow of a first domain, wherein the workflow is implemented as a series of steps to accomplish a workload and wherein at least one of the steps utilizes a process, are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises establishing a mutual trust relationship between the first domain and a second domain; wherein one of the steps is authored by the second domain, the method further comprising associating with the step authored by the second domain a digital attestation for enabling the first domain to verify authorship and non-modification thereof.

Abstract: Method and system for managing workloads in a cloud computing environment comprising cloud services providers is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises, for each of the cloud services providers, monitoring a situation of the cloud services provider to obtain situation information for the cloud services provider and evaluating the obtained situation information and then deploying an workload to a selected one of the cloud services providers based at least in part on results of the evaluating.

Abstract: System and method for providing cloud computing services are described. In one embodiment, the system comprises a cloud computing environment comprising resources for supporting cloud workloads, each cloud workload having associated therewith an internal cloud address; and a routing system disposed between external workloads of an external computing environment and the cloud workloads, the routing system for directing traffic from an external cloud address to the internal cloud addresses of the cloud workloads. The routing system comprises a virtual router configured to function as a network address translator (“NAT”); a distributor connected between the virtual router and the cloud workloads; and a distributor registry accessible by the distributor for maintaining information comprising at least one of port mappings, cloud address mappings, and cloud workload configuration information.

Abstract: System and method for transparent cloud access are described. In one embodiment, the system comprises an enterprise computing environment maintained by an enterprise and a cloud computing environment maintained by a cloud provider; and a secure bridge mechanism for interconnecting the enterprise computing environment and the cloud computing environment. The secure bridge mechanism comprises a first secure bridge portion associated with the enterprise and a second secure bridge portion associated with the cloud computing environment. The first and second secure bridge portions interoperate to provide transparent and secure access by resources of one of the computing environments to those of the other computing environment.

Abstract: System and method for providing cloud computing services is described. In one embodiment, the system includes a cloud computing environment, the cloud computing environment comprising resources for supporting cloud workloads, each cloud workload having associated therewith an internal cloud address; and a routing system disposed between external workloads of an external computing environment and the cloud workloads, the routing system for directing traffic from an external address to the internal addresses of the cloud workloads.

Abstract: System and method for providing cloud computing services are described. In one embodiment, the system comprises a cloud computing environment comprising resources for supporting cloud workloads, each cloud workload having associated therewith an internal cloud address; and a routing system disposed between external workloads of an external computing environment and the cloud workloads, the routing system for directing traffic from an external address to the internal cloud addresses of the cloud workloads. A designated one of the cloud workloads obtains one key of a first pair of cryptographic keys, the first pair of cryptographic keys for decrypting encrypted storage hosted within the cloud computing environment.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and schema are provided for enforcing security on an attribute of an object. An instance of an object is created or modified using the schema where a number of the attributes for the object include descriptors. The attributes of the created or modified object are checked to ensure that the modifier has access rights to the attributes. If the modifier does not have the access rights, then values are not assigned to the attributes requested by the modifier. When the modifier provides values for an attribute having the corresponding descriptor, the values are also checked to determine if they are references to a second object. In which case, a check is made to ensure the modifier has an access right to the second object. If no such access right exists, then the values are not assigned to the attribute as originally requested by the modifier.

Abstract: Distributed Reference Links (“DRLs”) for managing the referential integrity between objects in a distributed directory server system are described. In a preferred embodiment, DRLs specify a set of attributes, precedents, and algorithms that define how a resource can notify other resource managers of a change in the identity information of one of its objects. Using DRLs, before an external reference to an object is created, a “UsedBy” attribute identifying the partition that will include contain the external reference is added to any R/W replica of the object prior to the creation of the external reference object.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reorganizing a distributed directory is disclosed. A source logical group, such as a partition, is identified for reorganization. A destination object is selected to which the source logical group will become subordinate. Multiple simultaneous reorganizations of the distributed directory can be handled.